Mauritius Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy<MM

Definitions of Data:

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Main Focus of Document:

Government approach to using AI as a driver of development

Target Beneficiaries or Sectors:

Key Elements:

Mauritius' AI Strategy sets out the government's approach to making AI the cornerstone of the country's next development model. To achieve this, the Strategy provides a roadmap defining key considerations for developing the right ecosystem to enable Mauritius to adopt new technologies as enablers of growth. The strategy is focused on:

• Prioritising sectors and identifying national projects;
• Capacity building and attracting skills;
• Incentives to catalyse implementation;
• Ethical considerations of AI;
• Development of strategic alliances in emerging technologies;
• Sensitisation campaigns;
• Adoption of new technologies for improved delivery of public services.

The Strategy makes several recommendations to ensure AI and other emerging technologies have the required economic and social impacts in Mauritius. These include:

• Set up a coordinating body, the Mauritius Artificial Intelligence Council, to coordinate with stakeholders and oversee the implementation of projects;
• Provide funding and incentives (matching grants, tax credits, fiscal incentives, equity financing, training grants, investment of profits into AI) to support start-ups in AI and Fintech;
• Develop skills by bringing in foreign expertise in the short term; setting up an AI campus of around 100 students with a tailor-made programme supported by local universities and international experts in the medium term; reviewing existing elective modules at universities and making programming and coding mandatory for all subjects; investing in STEM education, national training programmes and lifelong learning.

A number of projects are proposed to support the AI Strategy. These include making use of blockchain technology for tax payment, land registration and managing health insurance; using AI to improve the energy sector; using AI to bolster efficiency and competitiveness in the manufacturing sector; using AI for leapfrogging in the healthcare and biotech industry; and employing AI in agro-industry, the ocean economy and for transport.

The Strategy also highlights important issues related to the legal and regulatory framework, ethics and data protection for AI in Mauritius. This includes recommendations to expedite the Intellectual Property Bill; address outdated regulations to allow AI to develop (e.g. in Fintech, mobile payment, crowdfunding and crowdlending); ensure an ethical AI system by establishing a permanent committee on ethics; set up a special working group to make necessary amendments to data protection legislation; and consider policies on open data access).